Komodo Dragon Dies In Surgery At Pittsburgh Aoo

PITTSBURGH (AP) – An 18-year-old Komodo dragon has died during surgery at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium to correct a partial bowel obstruction.

The dragon was dubbed “Noname” because his paperwork didn't list a name when the animal was transferred to Pittsburgh from the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

The United States had no Komodo dragons until the prince of Indonesia gave President Ronald Reagan the gift of a dragon in 1998. That animal was Noname's mother, and he was hatched in August 1993 from the second clutch of her eggs that hatched in this country.

The dragon underwent surgery on Saturday to repair the obstruction which zoo officials say made him lethargic and kept him from eating.